Hi Gavin!
I answered your question and would like to correct and expand my answer.
The term auxotrophic relates to prokaryotic organisms that cannot produce essential compounds for their "living" (such as germs that cannot produce the amino acid argenin) in comparison to the wild type of that particular type of germ.
The term prototrophic means the opposite of auxotrophic and relates to prokaryotic organisms that can produce essential compounds for their "living", another words, the term autotrophic refers to the wild type of a prokaryotic organism.
The term autotrophic refers to a completely different part of microbiology. Prokaryotic organisms are classified into four main categories. The first category is divided to two parts that are differentiated by ability of the prokaryotic organisms use different substances as a source of energy. The first group is called phototrophs that use sunlight as a source of energy and the second group is called chemotrophs use organic compounds as the source of energy. The second category is divided to two parts that are differentiated by ability of the prokaryotic organisms use different substances as a source of carbon. The first group is called autottrophs that use carbon di-oxide as a source of carbon and the second group is called hetrotrophs that use organic compounds as the source of carbon.
I will be happy to answer any of your other questions in: biology, microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry etc. at my email: alonnardi at yahoo.com
> "Gavin" <gavin at zonvark.wustl.edu> wrote in message
> news:39EF2F13.83985F53 at zonvark.wustl.edu...>Hi,
>> Just a quick question: What does "auxotrophic" mean?
> I suspect it is not the same as "autotrophic".
>> Gavin
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